


Everlasting, Lasting

by Vashti (tvashti)



Series: Mirror [4]
Category: Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alcoholic Tony Stark, Character Analysis, Depression, Gen, Introspection, Male-Female Friendship, Pepper Potts & Tony Stark Friendship, Pre-Iron Man 1, Protective Pepper Potts, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, don't tell him that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-31 05:09:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15112460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tvashti/pseuds/Vashti
Summary: Not to say that Tony Stark doesn't have his introspective moments.  They were, however, so incredibly rare that each one stands out in Pepper’s mind like a dark spot on the sun.  Often the why of them is obvious.  Sometimes Tony gets in a mood and there is no appreciable reason why.  Pepper tries to ride these waves of introspective tractability to best effect.  Ultimately, though, a quiet, internal Tony with drink in hand was no one’s friend.





	Everlasting, Lasting

**Author's Note:**

> A Tony-centric story! The series doesn't have many. This is all told from Pepper's point of view.

**10 - Everlasting, Lasting**

Pepper approached her boss, as he stood on his terrace in the dark with a glass of something swirling in his hand, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. He’d been unusually restrained all day and nearly tractable. As a matter of fact, he’d only made one sexually charged comment in twenty-four hours, and it had been in response to something so obvious Pepper herself had been on the cusp of the same tasteless joke.

Which was not to say that Tony Stark didn’t have his introspective moments. They were, however, so incredibly rare that each one stood out in Pepper’s mind like a dark spot on the sun. Often the why of them were obvious: spectacular failure, the anniversary of his parent’s death, a falling out with Rhodey that was obviously Tony’s fault, the look of utter disappointment on Obadiah’s face. Sometimes Tony got in a mood and there was no appreciable reason why. Pepper tried to ride these waves of introspective tractability to best effect, getting as much done as she could while he was willing to do them without exacerbating the situation. A quiet, internal Tony with drink in hand was, ultimately, no one’s friend.

There was one incident, though, that neatly slipped through the cracks.

Pepper slid the glass door open, and the wind off the ocean immediately pulled at her ponytail and slacks. “Tony?” And again when he didn’t respond, “Tony?”

“Yeah, Pep?” He pulled his gaze away from the water to look at her, half-casting his face in shadows. She imagined she looked a little ghostly herself, backlit by the house as she was.

“Are you okay?”

He swirled the drink in his hand, again. “Yeah. Sure. Why not.”

Pepper nodded, having half talked herself out of her original plan. Her muscles tensed to pull the door closed and leave her boss to his thoughts.

“Something you need, Pep?”

“Me? No. No, I just wanted to let you know that I’m going for the night.”

“Really. Because you sound like you needed something.”

Well if that wasn’t an opening… “I was wondering, actually… I mean… I don’t want to pry—“

Tony had lifted his drink to his mouth while she was talking, but now he waved it in her general direction. “You’re probably the only person who should and doesn’t. Go for it, Pep.”

“I was just wondering about today.”

“What about today?”

“Exactly. I mean…” She passed a hand over her face and stepped out onto the terrace. “Sorry, I didn’t actually mean to make that tongue-twister. What I was trying to say was, _is_ , what about this date on the calendar always makes you…like this. I...I’ve learned a lot about you over the past five years and I’ve noticed that today is always—I mean _you’re_ always…different on today. But I can’t figure out why.”

Pepper cringed. Saying it out loud made her sound, and feel, much nosier than she was trying to be. She had come to care for her boss, quite in spite of her best efforts, and she was worried. She covered her face with her hands. “I sound like such a stalker.”

Tony laughed. A loud barking sound that Pepper imagined held a hint of tears at the back of it, but she realized that she was ready to read _a lot_ into whatever Tony did right now so she pretended he was doing something rude and didn’t react. He did laugh a little too long, though.

When he finally managed to work himself down to the occasional snort, his face settling into an almost normal Tony-expression, he shrugged. “Don’t know. I didn’t even notice that it’s the same day every year. Every year?” he asked her.

Pepper nodded. “Every year since I started.”

“Really? JARVIS, buddy, any way you can back up Pep’s claim?”

She would have been offended that Tony was checking her observations with his AI, but since he checked most things against his AI (whether or not he listened) she thought it was actually a good sign.

“ _You are statistically more likely to go to meetings and sign paperwork on this day than on many others.”_

Pepper pulled a face at JARVIS’ tinny voice through the outdoor speakers. The upgrade was still on backorder.

“ _You are also statistically less likely to work in the shop, sir.”_

“Huh.” Tony turned away from Pepper and leaned against the terrace railing. “Huh.”

Pepper took a few steps towards him. “You…haven’t noticed?”

Tony didn’t respond, introspective all over again.

Rolling her eyes at her own stupidity, Pepper reached for her ponytail streaming behind her in the strong ocean breeze as if that could put it back in order. “I’ll just, um, I’ll just be going.” She sighed. “Night, Tony.”

He stood suddenly and threw his glass out into the ocean. “Hold up. I’m coming with you.”

“Wait, you’re…? What?” It wasn’t the glass throwing that surprised her. Mikasa made regular quarterly deliveries for a reason.

“I’m done here. The terrace. October 23rd. All of it. Waste of my time. Especially if I’ve already been to—holy…Pepper! You made me sit through a review meeting today! Two review meetings!”

“‘Made’ is such a strong word, Tony. Besides, I’d already rescheduled both of them four times. Apiece! They were past due.”

“Yeah. No more of that. Whatever happened whenever ago on this day in October can’t be that serious if I don’t even remember what it is.”

Pepper looked at him skeptically, but kept her own counsel. He wouldn’t hear it until he was ready, if he ever was.

“So. Pep. Wanna keep me company?” His eyebrows waggled suggestively.

Glad to see him back to his usual lecherous self, she only smiled and waved as she made her way to the front door. Well that was one brewing disaster averted, at least. Who knew how many more to go.

Fin[ite]


End file.
